Glossary

SADDLE STITCHINGStapling pages, sections, or signatures together with wire from the outside fold along the fold to the center spread; distinguished from side stitching.

SALES PROMOTIONThose sales activities that supplement both personal selling and advertising, coordinate the two, and help to make them effective, for example, sales incentives.

SAMPLINGPaid magazines sometimes attempt to recruit new subscribers by offering them one or more free trial issues. Samples differ from a forced free trial (see definition) in that they are requested by the prospect and usually involve only one or a few free issues. Free copies added to or included in a subscription term are premiums (see definition), not samples.

SANS SERIFType lacking serifs, sometimes known as gothic.

SATELLITE STATIONA broadcast station in a fringe reception area, to boost the effective range of the main station’s signal.

SATURATIONA level of advertising weight several times above normal coverage and frequency levels standard for the market or product involved. Saturation implies simultaneous achievement of wide coverage and high frequency designed to achieve maximum impact, coverage, or both.

SATURATION SHOWINGIn outdoor, a showing of maximum intensity, designed to surpass complete coverage (the 100 showing) with repeat impression. Often a 200 showing.

SCATTER PLANCommercial announcements that are scheduled during a variety of times in broadcast media; usually, the advertiser is permitted to specify general time periods during which the commercials will be schedules; also called "scatter package".

SCHEDULEA list of media to be used during an advertising campaign. A list of a product's advertising to be included in a media vehicle during a specific time. The chronological list of programs broadcast by a station. Also called a flowchart.

SCHEDULE AND ESTIMATEA data form submitted by an advertising agency to the advertiser prior to a firm media purchase; it contains price and audience goals and a proposed schedule.

SCRAP/WASTELeftover papers and preprints which are unused or unusable.

SCREENThe unit of measurement for fineness of a halftone according to the number of cross-ruled lines to a mm/cm/inch...; 50-65 screen, coarse, for newspaper reproduction; 120-133 screen, fine, for periodicals (generally).

SCREEN DENSITYDegree of fineness or coarseness of the halftone screen; also called screen percentage.

SCREEN SIZEMeasurement of density of half-tone dot formation used to reproduce pictures. Greater density represents a higher print quality. The screen ruling measures the number of lines or dots per centimetre.

SEALED EDITIONEither regular or Monogram editions of the newspaper, accompanied by an A4 double-sided leaflet branded to the advertiser's specifications, and polysealed into a bag, allowing other loose inserts to be included in the package.

SECONDARY AUDIENCEThe members of a print media audience who do not subscribe to or purchase the publication (see Pass-along readers).

SECONDARY LISTENING AREAThe outlying area in which broadcast transmissions are subject to fading or static; in television, the Grade 3 signal contour.

SECTIONAL MAGAZINEA magazine that is distributed only sectionally and not nationally. Also called a regional magazine.

SEGUE(Pronounced seg-way). Refers chiefly to musical transitions in radio commercials, sliding from one tune to another to indicate a change in time, mood or place.

SELECTIVE BINDINGThe computerized, database-driven binding process that has greatly expanded the economic feasibility of breaking out regional or interest-specific advertising and/or editorial editions of a given issue. Selectively bound, ink-jetted messages are becoming a viable option for subscription promotion and for editorial customization that serves circulation goals, as well as for advertising messages.

SELECTIVE MAGAZINEA magazine which, because of its nature and editorial content, appeals only to a certain type of audience.

SELECTIVITYIn marketing, the narrowing of target audiences by way of media choice and copy appeal.

SELF-LIQUIDATING POINT-OF-PURCHASE UNITOne for which the retailer wholly or partially pays.

SELF-LIQUIDATING PREMIUMA premium whose total cost is recoverable in the basic sales transaction.

SELF-MAILERA folder, booklet, or other direct mail piece that provides space for addressing, postage, and sealing, and therefore requires no separate envelope for mailing.

SELL-THROUGHThe percentage of distributed newsstand copies that were actually sold. Average sell-through for the industry has fallen to 35 to 45 percent, compared to 55 to 65 percent in the mid-‘80s.

SEMI-LIQUIDATORPremium offered to the consumer whose cost is partially recovered by the manufacturer or merchant offering the inducement.

SEPARATION, COLORIsolation on separate negatives by the use of color filters (or by applying acid-resisting paint to the plate) of the parts of an illustration to be printed in each different color.

SEPARATION, NEGATIVENegative obtained by separating color copy into its basic colors by means of filters.

SERIFThe fine line or stroke crossing or projecting from the tip of type characters in certain faces; faces without these adjuncts are called sans-serif or sanserif (without serifs).

SETS IN USEThe percentage of households that have broadcast receiving sets that are operating at one time within a market area; because many households have more than one receiving set, "households using television" and "households using radio" are the current common terms.

SHARE OF AUDIENCEThe percentage of sets-in-use (and thus of HUT or of HUR) that are tuned to a particular station, network, or program (slang "share").

SHARE OF MARKETThe percentage of the total sales of a specified class of products that is held by or attributed to a particular brand at a given time.

SHARE OF MINDThe percentage of relevant population (or a sample of that population) who indicate awareness of, or preference for, the various brands within a product group. Specific meaning varies considerably with the method of measurement. It may be a test of salience or a test of total recall, aided or unaided. Usually refers to consumer awareness of brands in comparison with like measures of awareness for competing brands.

SHARE OF VOICE (SOV)A brand's share of the total advertising for a product or commodity classification.

SHEETPrinting by separate sheets rather than reels.

SHEETSThe number of pieces of paper needed to cover a poster panel area.

SHELTER MAGAZINESMagazines dealing editorially with the home such as decorating, maintenance, gardening, etc. Additionally, these magazines carry a considerable amount of food editorial matter.

SHOPPERA newspaper published in a local community and containing mainly local news, shopping hints and suggestions, and advertisements. Sometimes called a shopping newspaper.

SHOPPING NEWSPAPERA newspaper-like publication that is devoted mainly to advertising, often distributed free to shoppers or to households (slang "shopper").

SHORT RATEAdjusted basis for advertising cost when advertiser uses in a contract period less space or time than he contracted for and if the rate is not flat but permits discounts (lower rates) for frequency or total volume.

SHOWCARDS/SWING TAGS"As seen in...(paper/magazine)"

SHOWINGTotal number of panels in a buy. In outdoor advertising, the common advertising weight is #100, #75, #50, and #25 showings or better, defined as Gross Rating Points-which relate directly to thepopulation in a market. (In transit media, a showing is defined as the number of posters displayed on different vehicles).

SIG LINEOne or more lines of type at the bottom of an ad which include the name/logo, address & phone number of an advertiser.

SIG PAGEAdvertising which is sponsored by a group of businesses.

SINGLE-COPY SALESAlso called "newsstand sales". Single copies of magazines sold at retail. Most single-copy sales are made in supermarkets and other mass retail outlets. Many publishers also distribute through specialty stores.

SNIPEOriginally a small advertisement illegally posted on an outdoor surface. Legitimate dealer imprints across the bottom of a poster are now often referred to as snipes.

SOAP OPERASlang for a continuing broadcast dramatic serial, usually a daytime program.

SOFT OFFERA subscription offer that states or implies that you may receive the first issue without obligation and may discontinue the subscription without payment by writing "cancel" on the first invoice and returning it.

SOURCEThe channel of sale that produced a subscription, or the single-copy sales channel. On circulation reports, the source is shown either by key (see definition) or agency designation. "Source" includes both mini-source (individual keys) and maxi-source (keys grouped together in a planned way).

SOURCE EVALUATIONA mathematical study of new subscriptions sold through a given source, and their conversion and renewals over the years, to determine the true profit per net paid unit of circulation. This allows for comparing and assessing the relative volume and profitability of various sources. It is one of the main uses for models.

SPACE BUYERThe person who is responsible for purchasing advertising in newspapers, magazine, and business publications, and sometimes outdoor and transit (see Media buyer).

SPACE POSITION VALUEA measure of the effectiveness of an outdoor poster location.

SPACE SCHEDULEA schedule sent to the advertiser by the agency, showing the media to be used, the dates on which advertising is to appear, size of advertisements, and cost of space.

SPECA creatively designed ad from the art department, to be shown to accounts as a basic layout for a proposed ad.

SPECIAL EDITIONA 2 or more pages full colour stand-alone supplement, produced outside the run-of-paper for specific events. Printed on art paper, the supplement is dedicated to a single client or event and delivered to the location of the advertiser's choice for separate distribution from the newspaper. Alternatively, these special edition supplements can be inserted into a limited run of the regular issue.

SPECIAL POSITIONSA special position is a mono/color advert which does not appear run of paper. Details of the position canl be , for example: guaranteed position, facing matter, first half, page 3, first dps, etc. Rates will have a percentage extra, total cost of the price of mono/color display, or as an absolute price. Series discounts may be given.

SPECTACULARAn outdoor advertising display unit built with structural steel and designed for a particular advertiser on a long term contract. Advertising copy is presented in a "spectacular" fashion through the use of incandescent lamps, luminous tubing flashers, chaser borders, motographs, or any other combination of electrical devices.

SPLIT RUNTwo or more advertisements of same product or service inserted, in equal numbers, in the same issue or run of a newspaper or magazine, usually in equal space and position; used to test copy by removing all variables except the copy to be tested; may be used to test factors other than copy.

SPLIT SCREENSpecial effect dividing TV picture to show a double image, or to show two separate pictures at the same time.

SPONSORAn advertiser who buys the exclusive right to the time available for commercial announcements in a given broadcast program or segment.

SPONSORED SUBSCRIPTIONSSubscriptions obtained through cooperation between publisher and an organized local civic or charitable organization, members of schools, churches, fraternal or similar organizations, publisher donating a percentage of the subscription price to the organization involved.

SPOTA time period filed entirely by a commercial or public service message and sold separately from the adjacent time periods. Such announcements may be placed between network programs or within local programs. Also, to buy time (programs and/or announcements) on a market-by-market basis from stations through their representatives.

SPOT ANNOUNCEMENTCommercial placed upon individual stations, radio and TV. Often referred to as spots. Technically, spots should be referred to as announcements.

SPOT COLORUse of color which reproduces only itself, does not blend with another color to create new colors.

SPOT RADIOThe use of stations in selected markets without regard to network affiliation. May involve spot announcements or complete programs.

SPOT SCHEDULEA local spot announcement buy or a standard form that agencies submit showing specific times, adjacencies, etc., of a brand's current spot announcements in a market.

SPOT TELEVISIONThe use of stations in selected markets without regard to network affiliation. May involve spot announcements or complete local programs.

SPREADAn advertisement designed to occupy two facing pages as a single unit of space (also known as a "double spread" or "double truck"); two pages printed from a single plate, without separation by a gutter (inside margins), there is thus actually only one spread (the center spread) in saddle stitched publications; also describes advertisements designed to employ the gutter space, although they may not be printed from the same plate; when two pages are used employing the gutter space, the advertisement is described as two pages facing.

S/SSame size.

STAGGERED SCHEDULESeveral advertisements scheduled in two or more publications, arranged so that the dates of insertion are alternated or rotated.

STAMPSHEET AGENCIESSee "Direct Mail Agency."

STAND UPUse of person in TV commercial speaking and gesturing directly to the viewer.

STANDARD ACTIVITY UNIT (SAU)The fifty-six advertising units in broadsheet, and thirty-three units in tabloid newspapers that are fixed sizes in depth and width and are measured in standard column inches.

STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION (SIC)Numerical coding system developed by the Bureau of Budget used in the classification of business establishments according to the principal end-product manufactured or service performed at that location.

STANDARD MAILStandard mail includes matter formerly classified as third-class and as fourth-class mail, though matter from each former class remains subject to separate and specific classification, eligibility and preparation standards. The U.S. Postal Service mail class that was formerly called "third class" is now called "Standard A." This class requires a permit, and is generally used by large-volume direct mailers and catalogers. The mail class formerly called "fourth class", used for books and parcels, is now called "Standard B".

STANDARD METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA (SMSA)See Metropolitan area.

STANDARD RATE & DATA SERVICE, Inc. (SRDS)A service that publishes the rates and discount structures of all major media. It also publishes market research studies, often on media or market areas.

STANDBYAds may be requested on a space-available basis for daily/Sunday insertions in the paper and there is no guarantee that an ad will run.

STANDBY SPACEAn order accepted by some magazines to run an advertisement whenever and wherever they wish, at an extra discount. Advertiser forwards plate with order. Helps magazine fill odd pages or spaces.

STARCH METHODA term that refers to the recognition method used by Daniel Starch & Associates in their studies of advertising readership.

STARTTo commence service on a subscription, or a subscription that starts.

STATEMENTSummary of circulation data made by publication owner; not audited and distinguished from the report audited by the Audit Bureau of Circulation or Business Publications Audit or Verified Audit Circulation.

STOCK ARTExisting pictures/photos available for purchase for use in ads.

STOP MOTIONMovie film taken by exposing one frame at a time; inanimate objects are usually moved by hand a fraction of an inch for each exposure, and when the film is played back at normal speed the object appears to move.

STORE DISTRIBUTED-MAGAZINEAny one of several magazines (e.g., Family Circle, Woman's Day) whose primary channel of distribution is retail grocery stores.

STORYBOARDSynopsis of a TV commercial idea, told in a series of sketch drawings (almost like a comic strip), with typed instructions below each scene, to (1) present ideas (2) obtain client approval, (3) secure estimates/bids from production houses, and (4) as a guide for shooting.

STRAIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTA TV commercial in which an announcer delivers a sales message directly into the camera or off-screen while a slide or film is shown on screen.

STRAIGHT COPYA radio commercial consisting of typewritten words only; usually read by whichever local station announcer might be on duty at the time the commercial is scheduled.

STRIP PROGRAMMINGA broadcast program or commercial tgat us scheduled at the same time of day on successive days of the week, either Monday through Friday or Monday through Sunday (see Across the Board).

SUB-TITLESA title my use the prefix "Incorporating...." underneath its title, if this fact is mentioned at some point in every issue. This does not have to be on the bannerhead, or appear on the front cover. A publication may list a descriptive sub title that expands upon the editorial content of the publication (for example "The Official Journal of..." if this is mentioned at some point in every issue. This does not have to be the bannerhead.

SUBHEADSSecondary headlines in ads that may appear above or below the headline or in the text of the ad. Usually set in a smaller size than the headline but larger than the body copy type size.

SUBJECT TO NON-RENEWAL (SNR)Commercial time that is available for purchase if the current advertiser does not renew.

SUBSCRIPTION COUNTSince a subscriber may have more than one subscription, a subscription (or label) count will usually be larger than a subscriber count.

SUNDAY NEWSPAPER SUPPLEMENTAny printed matter that is inserted in a Sunday edition of a newspaper on a continuing basis and is not part of the newspaper itself. Two main publications fitting into this category are magazine supplements and comic sections. A supplement may be either syndicated nationally or edited locally.

SUPPRESSION FILEFile made up of names of people who have indicated that they do not want to receive direct marketing offers, or people whom a marketer has identified as undesirable prospects for a direct mail or telemarketing piece. The Direct Marketing Association offers two major suppression services for consumers: the Mail Preference Service and the Telephone Preference Service. Also, many individual marketers now offer customers the option of having their names excluded from list rentals to other companies. (See "Opt Out").

SURFACE AIR LIFT (SAL)Mail transported by airto a distribution city, where it is deposited into the mail stream for final delivery via surface mail.

SUSTAINING PERIODA period of time during an advertising campaign when advertisements are used to remind the audience of the product or service or of the campaign; often, a time of reduced advertising expenditures following the introductory flight.

SWEEPThe period of the year when a ratings service measures the broadcast audience in the majority of the markets throughout the country; for example, surveys that are scheduled for November 2-24 would be referred to as the "November sweep".

SWIPE FILE – (or SWIPE ART)Visual material (photos, ads, etc.) gathered from various sources to be used as reference, for ideas, and sometimes as art in comprehensive layouts or storyboards.

SYNDICATED MUSICMusic recordings, available from production services subscribed to by stations, agencies, etc., for use in local advertising.

SYNDICATED PROGRAMA method of placing a TV or radio program on a market-by-market basis as opposed to the line interconnected network system of program transmission.

SYNDICATED SUNDAY MAGAZINE SUPPLEMENTA magazine supplement that is distributed through a group of newspapers and is owned by a single publisher. The distributing newspapers pay the publisher for the privilege of distributing the supplement which in turn helps to build circulation for the distributing newspapers. There are only two nationally syndicated supplements: Parade and U.S.A. Weekend.

SYNDICATORTelevision program distributor who works with reruns or new programs on a market-to-market basis (see Packager).